Computer Science at Lipscomb University

A $25,000 debt load for a computer science degree sounds reasonable until you realize the estimated first-year earnings of roughly $60,000 fall significantly below the national median of $71,000 for CS graduates. Based on comparable programs in Tennessee, Lipscomb's outcomes appear to track with the state median—but that's troubling when nearby UT-Knoxville graduates start at $70,000 and Tennessee Tech grads at $63,000, both public schools with lower tuition. The estimated debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42 suggests manageable payments, yet the opportunity cost matters: that $11,000 annual gap compared to national outcomes compounds quickly over a career.

What makes this particularly challenging is that we're working entirely with estimates—neither the actual earnings nor debt figures for Lipscomb's CS graduates are reported, likely due to small cohort sizes. You're essentially betting on a program with no track record visibility while comparable Tennessee programs show concrete outcomes. Computer science typically offers strong returns regardless of school, but the estimated numbers here suggest Lipscomb graduates may enter the market at a disadvantage compared to peers from public universities charging less upfront.

If your child is committed to Lipscomb for other reasons—campus culture, specific faculty, or location—the CS degree won't saddle them with crushing debt. But purely as a CS investment, spending private school tuition for what appears to be middle-of-the-pack Tennessee outcomes deserves serious reconsideration when stronger documented alternatives exist in-state.